TRIGGER WARNING FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC/PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL ABUSE

'Thud'.

Sin groaned as he picked himself up off the floor. He was used to sleeping on a flat, floor-height mattress, not a raised bed, and he had forgotten that rolling to one side meant a three-foot drop. He yawned blearily, before snapping his eyes open as he remembered where he was. Suddenly his throat clogged, and he couldn't breathe or move. At any moment, Uncle Vernon could walk through the door and beat him within an inch of his life, break his ribs again, slam his skull against the wall hard enough to kill him -

His eyes caught on a small card on the desk with his name written in Sparky's rough scrawl, and he forced himself to exhale and calm down. He took in a shuddering a breath and stood, snatching up the card. A sad smile tugged at his lips as he opened it.

'Sin,

Its only been one night and we allready miss you. Toxic hasnt left the warehouse, shes been pacing all day. I wish youd hurry and get home, shes pissin me off. I cant consentrait on the walkies. Every ones on edge, and even Stickler is a little off. He couldnt make a sell to a normal fence last night. He says its cause the guy had a better offer, but we all know he was too distracted missin you too sweet talk the guy. I wish i coulda gone with Wheels to see you, but Shade wants more walkies, and she wants to see if i can replicat the mobile. Hero wants me to tell you shes fine, but i think shes more shaken up than shes lettin on. It really scared her. Light didn't go to sleep for a long time last night, i think he can tell your somewere dangerous. But your strong. I know you can do this.

Love Sparky'

Sin closed his eyes and gripped the letter tightly, breathing in the scent of the cheap paper. There was a walkie laying on the desk as well, and as Sin's stomach rumbled, he resolved to talk to his family as soon as he'd had breakfast. Slipping on a pair of jeans and a AC/DC shirt he'd nicked from Spider, who had found it in one piece by a dumpster a few weeks ago, he slid the letter into his pocket and breathed in deeply before leaving the room, subconsciously making as little noise as possible.

He crept down the hallway, a quiet sigh of relief escaping him as he heard the loud snores that indicated his uncle and cousin were still asleep. As he descended the stairs, making sure to avoid the step that creaked, he wondered slightly what Dudley thought about all this; what his parents had told him.

He made his way into the kitchen and blinked in surprise; Wheels was sitting at the kitchen table, two plates of scrambled eggs in front of him. He was drinking a glass of milk, before catching sight of Sin and putting it down, waving him over.

"I got here a couple of hours ago, but I thought it would be a bad idea to creep into your room while you were sleeping. Especially, you know, considering where we are."

Sin smiled gratefully, taking the seat across from Wheels. The older boy slid the second plate of eggs toward Sin, who took no time in wolfing them down.

"I hope you don't mind, I'm going to pilfer some of your Aunt and Uncle's stuff. Food, mainly. They've got all this expensive, highly calorific shit, and it doesn't look like your cousin needs it," he said with a slight smirk, gesturing to the photograph of Dudley on the kitchen counter. Sin chuckled.

"Help yourself. I'd tell you to relieve them of the television and computer as well, but that might be a little noticeable to people who come to visit." He wiped a little dribble of egg from the corner of his mouth and began pouring himself and Wheels glasses of milk.

"Good to know. I'll stick to the silverware," Wheels replied with a grin, stacking Sin's empty plate upon his. Sin handed him a glass, and he gulped it down before asking in a more serious tone, "So… why didn't you tell us? About the Fights? And Elena?"

Sin's insides roiled and he let out a frustrated laugh. "Do you really think Shade or Hero would have let me continue if they knew?"

"Fair point." Wheels yawned and handed Sin the stack of plates with his good hand, and the young wizard left them in the sink.

"So has anything happened at home since Sparky wrote her letter?"

Wheels pursed his lips. "Not really. Wait, actually - you'll never believe this," he said, his grin widening, "Toxic has a girlfriend."

Sin nearly spat out his water. "What?" He asked, incredulously.

Wheels nodded, clearly enjoying the thought - Sin imagined he was very pleased with all the new material to tease her with. "Hero caught her snogging this fancy chick behind the bus station when she went to join her on a pick-pocketing raid. Toxic was mortified, but the girl introduced herself and everything! Apparently they met last week when Toxic tried to snatch her purse and the girl caught her. Said she wouldn't tell if Toxic went out with her."

Sin snorted with laughter. "Of course Toxic snogs the girl who caught her out. Just running away would be too easy."

Wheels smirked. "Yeah. Toxic is super embarrassed - she refuses to let anyone but Hero meet her. I overheard they're meeting up tonight, though - I'm gonna make Toxic introduce us, or I'll tell Shade that she's sneaking out." Sin grinned.

"You have to tell me everything you find. I can wait to tease her - and she was the one who made fun of Spider for flirting with that girl outside Sainsbury's! Hypocrite!"

Laughing, Wheels nodded. "Yeah, Spider's already given her quite a lot of grief." His grin grew. "Apparently she's teaching Toxic Korean."

"That's adorable," Sin replied, refilling his glass. There was a creak of floorboards the bubbly feeling of laughter fell away, replaced by a sharp, nervous intake of breath.

Sin turned around slowly, eyes landing on the enormous forms of his cousin and uncle.

"You're really back then, freak?" Dudley said rudely, and Uncle Vernon's face paled.

"Don't speak to him, Dudders," he said hoarsely, before taking a step in front of his son.

Sin's limbs were stuck. He couldn't move. His mind was screaming at him to run, to run from the monster that had terrorized him for years - and then Dudley waddled around Uncle Vernon and headed towards Sin. The movement jerked him out of his terror, but it activated some instinct in his subconscious and he panicked. His hands flew out in front of him and an elastic band snapped somewhere inside of his head.

"Dad? Dad what - what did he do to me?!" Dudley cried, and an angry roar ripped from Uncle Vernon's throat. The hulking man ran at Sin, who twisted his hand and braced for impact -

But the impact never came. He opened an eyelid, and let out a shaky breath. Both Dursleys' feet were encased in ice, frozen to the floor. They couldn't move or break the ice, and their mouths were opening and closing, but no sound was coming out.

Sin backed up, his whole body shaking with fear. A low whistle came from behind Sin, and he turned to see Wheels looking in awe.

"That was… that was incredible!" He said, amazed. Underneath all the slowly fading terror, Sin was sort of flattered.

"What do I do now?" He asked quietly. "If I let them out they might try to run at me again. Uncle Vernon isn't really smart enough to stop, especially now that I've pissed him off."

"You could just leave them there for the rest of the week," Wheels suggested. "Or, you know, forever."

The two frozen muggles' eyes bulged in terror. Sin couldn't deny the sight made him smile, but he shook his head. "Too many questions… I don't want Mrs. Figg to come over to water the plants and find them. Or for Aunt Petunia to do anything stupid."

He tilted his head, before swallowing. His resolve hardened and he approached the two.

"If you try anything like that again," he whispered, his confidence growing with every word, "I will do far worse than just freeze you in place." With a little tap on the well in his mind, a large, pointed icicle materialized in his hand. "Do you understand?"

They nodded hurriedly, and Sin smiled. "Good. You stay away from me, and we shouldn't have a problem." He pulled at the magic again, and the ice began to melt slowly. Sin didn't back away; he knew that if he didn't face his fear of his uncle now, when he held all the power, he would never get over it.

So he stood there and watched, a gleam in his eye, as the ice melted and Uncle Vernon wiggled out. He pulled his son free, took one look at Sin, and high-tailed it out of the kitchen.

"Damn, Assassin," Wheels breathed. "You're scary."

"Thanks, man."

"For a ten-year-old."

"And to think I was so flattered…"

Assassin sat at the kitchen table, tapping a pencil on the wood. Wheels had left an hour ago, because Sparky had said something about being able to fit him with a homemade prosthetic arm, and ever since then he had been incredibly bored. Bored, worried about Hero, and lonely. He realised for the first time that he hadn't been alone for so long in over a year. Even when he snuck away from his family, he was always with Elena. He'd never been alone for more than a few hours, and now he would be going days without his family. He'd seen Wheels an hour ago and he was already dreading the days ahead of him.

He glanced over to the small pool of water on the floor that had previously held his uncle and cousin in place. His stomach twinged slightly as he remembered the feeling of utter power and control the action had made him feel. Shoving the feeling away, and looking for a distraction, he held his hand out and carefully turned the faucet on his magic, letting it slowly drip through him.

The water rose into the air in tiny, shimmering droplets, reflecting the sunlight that filtered through the cracks in the curtains. Sin clenched his fist and the water spiraled into one big sphere, and it froze solid. He summoned over to his hand, before setting the ball of ice on the table. Biting his lip, he stood. He was bored, and starting to get really antsy. If he could just see Hero in person, to talk to her, he was sure he'd feel better. He just wanted to make sure she was feeling okay.
'Technically,' he thought, wringing his hands, 'As long as I'm still 'living' here all week, it won't matter if I leave the house, just for a few hours.'

He nodded to himself; it made sense. As long as he still considered his week-long stay here to be 'living' here, then it shouldn't matter that he went out for a while. Grinning, he hurried up the stairs to grab the radio.

'kkkkkkk'

"Come in Sparky? Or Shade?"

"'Sin, it's Shade. It's good to hear your voice!'"

Sin chuckled. "Yours too. Sparky'll have your head if she knows you're not saying 'over' at the end of your transmissions, over."

"'True, but she's out scrounging for God-knows-what for Wheels' prosthetic."'

"Lucky. Hey, so I've been thinking…"

'"That's a first."'

"Shut up. So I've been thinking, as long as I'm living here, I can still leave the house for a little while. Right? I mean, even if I lived here for real, I'd still leave the house sometimes."

There was a long pause, before Shade said, '"True. But… I don't like it. The chances… although I suppose you'd go crazy, stuck in that house all week. Okay, fine, but don't leave Little Whinging. I don't want to hear that you've walked all the way into the city, alright?'"

Sin lifted his button off of the walkie-talkie and swore before pressing back down and replying, "Fine. But I'm bored."

'"I know, bud. Hey - why don't I send someone up? I reckon Stickler and Toxic could take Roach, he's been dying to see you. Maybe you four can go to the park near you so you can get out of the house for a little while."'

Sin grinned. "That'd be great, Shade. Thanks."

"'Listen, Sin - I've gotta run, Light's in a mood - but I'll let Stickler and Toxic know. I love you, kid."'

"Love you too," Sin replied, before setting down the walkie on his bedside table and collapsing onto his bed.

Bored, he pulled the book off of the floor. He would never admit it to Elena, but he was actually beginning to grow more and more interested in it. He settled down to read a chapter on the personal histories of each member of the Wizengamot.

Nearly an hour later, he heard the doorbell ring. He left the book open on his bed and hurried downstairs, not wanting to find out what would happen if if one of the Dursleys got to the door first. He flung it open and the air was immediately knocked from his lungs as his chest was squeezed tightly.

"Hhh - Roach - mate - I can't breathe," he gasped, and the eight-year-old untangled his arms from around the young wizard.

"I missed you, Sin! I don't like that you have to stay here. They hurt you," Roach said with a frown. Sin kissed the top of his head and smiled sadly.

"I know. But it's necessary. I've got to keep you safe, haven't I?"

Roach pouted, crossing his arms. "I can protect myself just fine."

"Of course you can," Sin laughed, "but we have eachother's backs. Why?"

The corner of Roach's mouth twitched, and he mumbled, "Because we're family." Roach stepped to the side, and Toxic smiled at Sin.

"He's been a nightmare with you gone," she said, her arm around draping an arm around Stickler's neck. Stickler shook it off irritably and nodded.

"It's horrid! I couldn't get a lick of sleep last night, he was so restless, so if I sleep through my meeting tonight with the silver fence then that's on him." Sin chuckled, before turning to Toxic, grinning.

"So what's this I hear about a girlfriend?" He asked, Roach pulling at the button on his sleeve.

Toxic went nearly as red as her hair. "How about we get to that park, yeah?" She stuttered, before turning on her heel and dragging a complaining Stickler after her. Sin snorted, before trailing after them, Roach jumping up and down.

They walked to the park, Sin pestering Toxic all the while, a large grin plastered across his face. As they reached the park, her blush deepening with every passing word, she whirled around to face him.

"If I answer your questions will you shut up about it?" She hissed, and Sin's grin widened as he nodded.

"Fine," she allowed, kneeling down to tie Roach's shoelace that had come undone. Stickler rolled his eyes but Sin could tell he was trying not to smile.

"Min-Ji. I call her Minnie."

Sin laughed. "You have a cute nickname for her!" Toxic ducked her head, as if Roach's shoelaces were suddenly a clever puzzle she couldn't quite unravel. "Where's she from?"

"She moved here from Korea two years ago."

"Why?"

Toxic shrugged. "Her mum's job, I think? Her mum's some fancy corporate head."

"Is she rich?"

Toxic's head snapped up to glare at him. "Don't you dare," she growled.

Sin raised his hands in surrender. "Hey," he defended, "I didn't say anything."

Toxic narrowed her eyes and stood, Roach's shoelace tied. "We're not ransacking my girlfriend's house."

Sin rolled his eyes. "Duh. But if you were to just ask her to help out sometimes, when it gets rough -"

"No," she snapped.

Sin stared at her. "Why not? You'd take your pride over -"

"Sin, leave it," Stickler murmured, but Sin ignored him, irritated with Toxic's selfishness.

"No! Having a rich friend help out, especially during winter, could be the difference between malnourishment or hypothermia and being healthy and warm!"

"She doesn't know," Toxic replied sharply, her eyes cast downward. "My… our… situation. She thinks I nicked her stuff for the adrenaline. To be rebellious."

Sin scoffed. "Is she thick? Look at the state of your clothes!"

Toxic's eyes burned. "She's not stupid! Just… sheltered. The concept of poor people isn't her reality."

Sin crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Then tell her. If she likes you as much as you seem to like her, then she'll probably volunteer the money. Maybe give you a couple of expensive jewelry pieces."

"I can't."

"Why the hell not? Do you really value your pride over our family's survival? If you really like this girl, and she feels the same way about you -"

"Her older brother works for social services, and her best friend's dad is a copper. If she told either of them, even if she meant well, or if they found out…"

Sin stopped ranting, Stickler looking at him, annoyed. Roach didn't seem to notice the commotion, too busy tying Stickler's own shoelaces together. Stickler let him.

Sin sighed. "Sorry. You were just protecting us."

Toxic shot him a sad smile. "Despite what you may belive, Sin, us gingers do have souls."

"The jury's still out on that one," Stickler called, untying his shoes now that the conflict had been resolved. Roach looked grumpy.

"You were supposed to trip," he glowered.

Sin chuckled. "You know, Stickler's got a - pardon my intended pun - stick too far up his arse to chase after you for that. But me…" he smirked and Roach's eyes grew wide before he scrambled to his feet and decked it across the park. Sin sprinted after him, whooping loudly. He could hear Toxic's chuckles and Stickler's offended squawking behind him.

Sin chased him all around the park and through a brambly bush when he heard a soft, "Harry?" From behind him. He ignored it; Harry was a common name, and it wasn't his anymore. He stopped beneath a tall tree that Roach had begun to climb.

"You'll have to come down eventually!" Sin called, grinning. "You can't stay up there forever."

"Harry? Harry Potter?"

Sin froze. The frail voice was familiar, and he turned to meet the watery gaze of Mrs. Figg.

"Hey, Mrs. Figg," he said quietly. There was a long pause, and Sin asked, "How are you?"

"It's been over a year since I saw you last," the old woman said, her eyes wide. "The Dursley's told the school that you'd been transfered, but I didn't see you around the neighborhood… I half-thought they'd cast you out onto the streets!"

The blood rushed to Sin's ears and he said carefully, "They transferred me to a boarding school. In… Wales." He wondered silently how she knew what the Dursleys had told the school, but brushed it off on her being as nosey as the rest of the street.

"But - I didn't see you all summer! Or last summer!"

Sin shrugged, trying not to panic. They hadn't planned for this. Sin had been relying on his neighbors' previous complete indifference to his existence for this to work. "Boot camp," he said with a nervous laugh. He hoped it would be believable enough; it would certainly explain the slight muscle that had begun to replace his stick-thinness from the Fights.

Mrs. Figg nodded several times. "Of course, of course. They had talked about shipping you off before." This was news to Sin; they'd talked about sending him away, but it had always been to an orphanage or on the street.

"Si - Harry?" Called Toxic as she approached slowly, clearly reading the sitatuion. That had always been one of Toxic's talents. Adapting.

Sin almost gagged at the sound of the feeble coward's name on Toxic's tongue. It was not a name his family was ever meant to utter.

"Who are your new friends, dear?" Mrs. Figg asked with a kind smile. Sin smiled back, his much more forced.

"This is… Jennie. And Jennie's little brother, uh - Stephen," he added, gesturing up the tree to where Roach sat, his head tilted in confusion.

"Harry and I met at boot camp," Toxic said smoothly, stepping toward him. Sin hated the way she spoke his old name. With such familiarity. Sin knew it was feigned - knew that she was just an incredible lier - but the idea that she knew his weak self disgusted him. "My family came down to Surrey for the holidays - we have a cousin who lives near here - and I asked my mum if I could come visit Harry."

Mrs. Figg smiled. "Well, I'm glad he's got such nice friends. I'll see you around, dear?" She asked Sin. He nodded, and she hobbled out of the park. Sin let out a long breath.

"That was horrible," he murmured, folding into Toxic's hug. Stickler hobbled up behind them, as he hadn't wanted to approach and give Toxic another person to explain away.

"She seemed nice, if a little… nosy," Stickler said, watching the woman leave. Once she was out of sight, Sin chuckled.

"Yeah, Mrs. Figg was always a bit odd. But whenever I went over she always gave me as much food as I wanted, albeit most of it stale cake."

Toxic smiled. "Sounds like a good deal." Sin nodded, and Roach shuffled down the tree. Sin clapped the younger boy on the back, their previous joking squabble forgotten.

"Maybe we ought to get out the public eye? Avoid that happening again?" Spider suggested, and Sin nodded with a sigh. He hated being stuck inside the house, but if too many people started asking questions it could cause them problems.

"I guess."

"But we just got here," Roach pouted. Toxic ruffled his hair affectionately, a small smile on her lips.

"I know, bud. But it isn't safe for Sin here."

Roach let out a huffy sigh, and rolled his eyes, but nodded. A smile tugged at the corner of Sin's lip.

"Potter?" Came a thin, reedy voice from behind the four of them. Sin shut his eyes.

"You have got to be joking," he swore. He was not in the mood to deal with anything else today, and he had a feeling he knew exactly who was behind him.
He turned around and his suspicions were confirmed. Piers Polkiss, surrounded by the rest of Dudley's gang. Dudley himself stood at the back, silent with fear.

"Well, well, well," Piers said dramatically. "This will be fun. I've been itching for a good spot of Harry Hunting - I haven't seen you in over a year. Dudley, you want the first - Dudley? What's wrong with you, then? Just grossed out by the sight of your pathetic little cousin?"

While Harry Potter had been frightened by Dudley and his gang, the sight of them didn't quite freeze Sin with terror like Uncle Vernon did. Sin didn't even think he was scared of them at all; he reckoned he could take all of them on without magic. And bootcamp would be a good excuse for his newfound 'self-defense' skills. He was more resigned than fearful.

"Let's just go," Dudley managed to say, his voice sqeaking slightly. "He's not - he's not worth our time."

"Come on, Dudley, you haven't hit anyone in three days! Aren't you itching for a fight?"

Dudley swallowed and shook his head, and Sin couldn't help but feel a wiggle of satisfaction in his belly at the obvious fear in Dudley's eyes. It warmed him, to know that the boy he spent his life running and hiding from was afraid of him.

Malcom, Gordon, and Denace cracked their knuckles in an attempt to be menacing. "Walk away," Sin advised them, hoping very much that they wouldn't listen to him.

"Guys, we're nearly late for supper," Dudley tried.

"Have you gone soft, mate?" Piers asked in disbelief. "Fine, you can run home to mummy, but the boys and I are going to have a little fun first." Dudley took one look at Sin and bolted across the park.

"You guys go," Sin murmured. "I can handle them."

"I don't doubt that, but I'm not leaving you alone with them," replied Toxic. Sin gritted his teeth.

"Fine. Stickler, you take Roach back to the Dursleys'. Toxic and I will meet you there when I'm done here."

Stickler grunted in agreement and led Roach away, who was grumbling under his breath.

"What, you think you can take us all on, Potty boy?" Piers sneered. Sin shrugged.

"Bootcamp taught me a thing or two," he answered, unbothered. He was itching for a fight, he had been ever since he'd gone back to the Dursleys.

Piers nodded at the three heavy-set thugs around him, and Gordon lunged clumsily for Sin. The young wizard ducked under the heavy swing before standing straight and letting a cocky smirk play along his lips.

Dennis threw a punch of his own, and Sin sidestepped it. A heat prickled up the back of his spine as he held himself back.

"Coward," taunted Piers. "What would mummy say if she saw her son being such a pathetic coward, not fighting back? Oh, wait!" He laughed. Sin raised an eyebrow at the jab, but didn't react. Piers went pink at the silence.

"Well?" He said angrily to Malcom, Dennis, and Gordon. "Stop playing around! Hit him!"

Sin blocked a slow punch from Malcom with a sigh, before ducking underneath a clumsy attack from Gordon. He grinned.

"This is boring," he said lightly, before launching a lightning-fast attack on Dennis's ribcage, ducking underneath one awkward swipe and jumping out of the way of another. A high-pitched squeak escaped Dennis and he fell to his knees, hunched over. Sin didn't pause in his attack before grabbing Malcom's outthrown fist and twisting it back over his own forearm. There was a resounding crack that ran through the park. Malcom shrieked with pain, and Sin grinned at Gordon and Piers.

"What was that about being a coward?"

"You're mad," Piers breathed, backing up. Gordon lumbered at Sin, who rolled his eyes as he spun around the slow muggle, jabbing him in the back of the neck and landing a powerful kick to his backside. Gordon fell to the ground, sprawled in the dirt.

"I'm what?" Sin asked coolly, stepping over a weeping Malcom. Dennis rolled over and started to crawl away, but Sin smashed his foot down on his back, hitting his ribs that were presumably bruised.

"Sin," cautioned Toxic, "Let's go."

Sin ignored her, the rush of finally being able to pay back years of pain too intoxicating. Piers backed up and made to turn and run, but Sin's hand lashed out and grabbed the muggle boy's arm. Snapping it straight, he whirled the boy around and pushed his face into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"Do you remember when you told Ms Brons I'd stolen the twenty quid from her desk that you'd nicked? Remember that?" He hissed into the other boy's ear. "She sent a very angry letter home. Uncle Vernon wasn't pleased." Sin remembered that particular beating well.

"Please - it was just a prank -" begged Piers, and Sin shoved him harder into the tree.

"Sin," Toxic repeated, her tone hard. "We need to go."

Sin punched Piers in the gut, a glint in his green eyes. "Or when I was walking home from school, and you called Dudley and these goons over when I could have gone in peace? Or when you copied from my desk every day for three years, getting me into trouble for copying off you? Or every time you held my hands behind my back as you let Dudley lay into me?" He dug his elbow into the rat-faced boy's ribs.

"Assassin!"

"Eight years, I spent in fear of you. Eight years," Sin spat, before letting go of the grip he had on the muggle boy. Piers wasted no time in booking it for the other side of the park.

Sin could hear Toxic saying something to him, but he wasn't paying attention. All he could think about was the surging feeling of euphoria inside him as he watched the remaining members of Dudley's gang crawl away from him. It was just as exhilarating as the first time he had dipped into his magic. He couldn't help the wide grin on his face.

"Sin," Toxic said softly, and he turned to face her. "We should go." He blinked a few times before nodding, trying to convince himself that the flash of fear he'd seen in her eyes was a trick of the light. They spent the walk back to Number Four in silence.

Sin raised his arm to open the door when it swung open, and Roach stood in the doorway with a shiteating grin on his face, holding up a small envelope of yellowish parchment.

"Guess what came?" Stickler asked from behind the young boy, the dark-skinned boy also smiling.

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